"These kids don't like to lose, and that's not something I feel you can teach somebody," Simon said. "They just don't want to lose, and that motivates them to work harder and get better."

The team is full of wrestlers with postseason aspirations. Luton, a junior, is a two-time Northeast regional qualifier. Last year, Taylor, also a junior, fell one win short of regionals.

Faust, a state-ranked sophomore, recently took second at the Wyoming Valley Conference Tournament. Gresham is the team's lone senior and placed fifth at the District 2 tournament last year.

Gresham and Faust started on the defensive line for the Grenadiers during football season. For the past season-and-a-half on the mat, they have been a 1-2 heavyweight punch. While they tried to recruit some of their football buddies to wrestle, their pleas fell on deaf ears.

"We try all the time," Faust said. "The kids are not dedicated enough to wrestle because wrestling requires a lot more dedication than football, especially since our school is a basketball school. Most kids play basketball."

Luton, one of two GAR wrestlers (along with O'Day) that does not play football, recounted numerous recruiting pitches that had an identical outcome. He would a pull a classmate aside in the hall.

"How much do you weigh?" Luton would ask.

Their response: "I'll think about it."

"Sometimes we don't see their faces, sometimes we do," Luton said. "Sometimes, when they come, they quit by the second week. We're happy in the beginning of the year, but when we start losing people, it gets frustrating."

Luton and his teammates have come to peace with the lack of numbers. Practices have become routine. Luton works out with Reese, O'Day spars with Taylor and Faust grapples with assistant coach Jay Lavelle.

Gresham is tasked with going against assistant coach Josh Wasielewski, a former GAR wrestler who dwarfs his pupil's 245-pound frame. The four pairs work in the corners of the wrestling circle with Simon periodically calling time to address the group.

"They just want to win," Simon said. "They hate to lose, and they work hard. It's nice. It makes it a lot easier on the coaches to train these young men."

"These guys want to work hard and keep getting better," Simon said. "They're not going to back down, and they want to wrestle the best people.

Things broke just right against Nanticoke. There were five double forfeits, and GAR won the three contested weight classes by a combined 15 points.

"To be honest, we weren't really paying attention to (the losing streak)," Simon said. "It was more along the lines of, 'are we winning heads-up?' With the low numbers we have, it's unexpected to win."

The Grenadiers end the wrestling portion of practice with some mano-a-mano sparring that ends when somebody is taken down or reversed.

Taylor is matched up with Faust at one point, grimacing as he attempts to move the bigger man. Faust weathers the early Taylor storm and secures the takedown.

Then, the Grenadiers, one by one, walk into the adjoining weight room. Their work has only begun.

"I just want to show everybody that even though we didn't have many kids, we could bring it to anybody that came to us," Gresham said. "I just want that last hurrah. I want everybody to be in the district finals and get to regionals as a team. All together."

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